Bear badly burned in 2014 wildfire doing well today

Cinder crawled into a landowner's yard in Methow, Wash., in July 2014 during the Carlton-Complex Fire.

Author:
Travis Pittman , KING

Published:
11:55 AM PDT September 19, 2017

A black bear named Cinder burned in a 2014 Washington state wildfire appears to be doing well three years later.

The injured female bear crawled into a landowner's yard in Methow, Wash., in July 2014 during the Carlton-Complex Fire. The feet of the 1.5-year-old bear was so badly burned, she was moving on her knees and elbows. She had several burns to her face, neck, and chest.

Cinder was rescued by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and thus began an intense rehabilitation period at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC).

When she was released back to the wild in 2015, Cinder was 2.5 years old and weighed 124 pounds -- about 40 pounds heavier than a normal weight of a female bear at that age. This was done purposely so she would have time to get acclimated to finding her own food in the wild.

Cinder after being immobilized on February 10, 2017 so researchers could document her condition and replace her GPS radiocollar (photo by Rich Beausoleil, WDFW).

Researchers visited her den as she was hibernating in Feburary 2017 and found the then 4-year-old weighed 110 pounds, which is normal weight considering she had not eaten during her sleep period.

Cinder will turn five years old in January, which is typically when females begin to have cubs.